Method of generating ignition-currents for internal-combustion engines and apparatus therefor.



G. I.- LANG.

METHOD OF GENERATING IGNITION CURRENTS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION TILED AUG.3I, I9I6- 1 ,233,587 Patented J My 1?, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET I- I I III George L. Lang; WflM G. L. LANG.

METHOD OF GENERATING IGNITION CURRENIS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3h 1916.

1,233,587, Patented Jul 711917.

2 SHEETS T 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT Eton GEORGE LOUIS LANG, F NEWARK, NEW ZTERSEY, ASSIGNDR T0 SPLITDORF ELEGTBIGAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF GENERATING IGNITION-cUERENTs FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

,5 7, Specification of Letters intent. P t t July 19170 Application filed August 31, 1916. Serial No. 117,918.

To all whom it may concern: and in the machine here described, one end Be it known that I, GEORGE Lours LANG, a of the primary winding may be connected citizen of the United States, residing at to the framework 1 of the coil structure, Newark, in the county of Essex and State of while the remaining end of the primary 5 New Jersey, have invented certain new and connects to the stem 2, passing through the 60 useful Improvements in Methods of Genshaft 1, but insulated therefrom. This stem crating Ignition-Currents for Internal-Com serves to conduct the primary current to the bustion Engines and Apparatus Therefor, insulated contact 3, of the primary or startof which the following is a specification, 111g lnterrupter l5, and from there by means reference being had to the accompanying of conductor 4 to the insulated contact of 65 drawing the service nterrupter 6, the insulated con- This invention relates to a method of gen- "ta t of whlch 18 connected to the post 5. crating ignition currents for internal com- The rvlce lnterrupter is actuated by a bustion engines, and particularly for startcam 6* mounted upon one end of the rotor ing the same. A'suitable type of ignition shaft (3". As these mterrupters ma be of -70 dynamo is described, as commonly termed a any sultable type, I do not describe t e same magneto. The invention has for its prmin detail. cipal objects a system of spark production The numeral 7 denotes a contact member particularly suited to starting aeroplanecnconnectmg from the secondary Winding to gines; the production of a machine particuthe moving member 20 of the high tension 75 l l licable to the system, and the pro d str buter, it being understood that this vision of special means for starting the endlstrlbuter may be of any suitable type and gine directly from the magneto, thereby that the moving member 21 is driven in eliminating the use of batteries or auxiliary synchronlsm with the rotor shaft 6 by magnetos as heretofore employed for this means of the gear 7 in the usual manner. so pu pos Th s dlstrlbuter may be for any number of Another object is to provide a magneto cylinders. adapted to furnish ignition current for the 8 1s a gear, keyed to the shaft i and 9 engine during the normal running thereof is a gear meshed in gear 8 and keyed to the and yet have this same magneto with the shaft 9, to which 1s also'attached the startaddition of comparatively few parts aring handle 10. 11 denotes the driving gear ranged to generate a current with the enof the magneto, which is meshed with a gine at rest by revolving the generating driving gear 12 on the engine. These gears 11 and 12, drive the rotor 13 of 35 Ancillary objects will hereafter more fully the magneto in synchronism with the engine 90 ap ear. crank shaft, this rotor conducting-flux to eferring to the accompanying drawings pole pieces 13*, 13 of the field structure. in which like numerals denote the same 1% denotes the cam for the starting interparts wherever they are shown, Figure 1, rupter 15. 16 indicates a primary conden- 1s a sectional view of a magneto embodying ser, which may be carried within or upon 95 my invention. Fig. 2, a sectional view at the housing P, so as to be rotatable thereright angles to Fig. 1, through the center with, or the condenser may be located elseof the machine, and Fig. 3, a diagram of the where and connected in circuit as shown in circuit connections. 1 Fig. 3. The numeral 1, denotes the generating a All of the parts except the gear 9 and its 100 coils or windings of the magneto laced associated shaft 9, may be supported upon about a core 1 provided with outwardly exa base 17 and inclosed within a suitable tending ole faces l and 1, thereby formhousing. I I ing a coil structure somewhat similar to the As the construction and operation of a 350 ordinary shuttle 'wound armature. This magneto of this type is already known, I 1135 structure together with the casing 1 is Sup: do not describe the same in further detail, orted byshafts 1 and 1, in beari ngs in the but will now confine, myself to a description ame-work 23, 24' of the machine; y of the features that are new. It is customary in a magneto of this type The magneto being-Etimed to the engine in to provide primary and secondary windings, I the usual way and t e rotatable coil struclie turc being positioned as shown at Fig, 2 it is obvious that the windings are suitably positioned between the upper pole pieces 18 and 19 of the field structure to generate a' current when magnetic flux is passed through the core 1*, which occurs when the rotor 13 is revolved in the ordinary manner, it being understood that crank 10 is in a downward position as indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 2; This not only properly positions the coil structure as shown in Fig. 2, but also holds the contacts of the starting interrupter 15 open, thereby permitting the service interrupter 6 to control the operation of the magneto.

The foregoing describes the normal running condition. To start the englne the same is turned over or cranked until the contacts of the service interrupter 6 are open, and rotor 13 occupies approxlmately the position shown in Fig. 2, then handle 10 .is revolved in the proper direction, and

through gears 8 and 9, the coil structure is revolved, thereby causing a reversal of flux through the core 1*, and a generation of current in the windings. The high tension or secondary current flows by way of 7 to the moving member 20 of the distributer. As 20. must be connected to some one of the spark plug terminals or cables, a spark s produced at the plug diagrammatically ind cated at 21, the circuit being completed through the frame of the engine'and magneto.

It will be understood that with a magneto of the type shown, the rotor 13 has two prongs NN which contact with the N pole of the permanent magnet 22, and two prongs SS which contact with the S pole of the magnet and that when the engine is turned so that the service interrupter 6 is open, the rotor is in the proper position to conduct flux from the poles of the magnet to the poles 13, 13 of the field structure, also 18 and 19, so that when the core 1 is revolved in the manner just described, the flux through the same will be broken and reversed with each revolution thereof. i

Upon the engine starting due to the operation of the coil structure, as just described, the handle 10 is immediately stopped in the position shown by the dotted lines Fig. 2, thereby opening the starting interrupter 15, which permits the service interrupter to control the output and permit the magneto to function in the normal manner. Owing to the fact that the distributer mechanism is driven in synchronism with the rotor 13, it is evident that the spark will be properly distributed to the several cylinders, whereas when starting, the rotor 13 being stationary and the coil structure only being revolved, the spark will be delivered continuously to one spark plug until the motor starts.

While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that the details of same may be varied within wide limits without however departing from the appended claims, the arrangement here shown being obviously only one of many possible embodiments thereof.

1. In an ignition dynamo, an exciting field structure, a coil structure, stationary pole pieces for said coil structure, means including a rotor to shift the flux from said field structure with respect to said pole pieces, and independent means for shifting the coil structure separately from said rotor with respect to said pole pieces.

2. In an ignition dynamo, an exciting field structure, a coil structure, stationary pole pieces forsaid coil structure, means including arotor to shift the flux from 'said field structure with respect to said pole pieces,

" and independent means for shifting the coil structure separately from said rotor with respect to said pole pieces, said means including a shaft for said coil structure revolubly supported on'said dynamo. 1

3. In an ignition dynamo, an exciting field structure, a coil structure, stationary pole pieces for said coil structure, means including a rotor to shift the flux from said field structure with respect to said pole pieces, and independent means for shifting the coil structure separately from said rotor with respect to said pole pieces, said means including a supporting shaft and handle whereby the same maybe revolved.

4. In an ignition dynamo, an exciting field structure, a coil structure, stationary pole pieces for said coilstructure, means including a rotor to shift the flux from said field structure with respect to said pole pieces, means adjacent the sides of said "exciting field structure for supporting said flux shifting means, and means for revolubly supporting said coil structure whereby the same may be revolved independently of said flux shifting means to produce acurrent.

5. In an ignition dynamo, .aaexciting field structure, a coil structure, stationary pole pieces for said coil structure, means to shift 6. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure.

having two sets of poles, a rotor between one set of said poles, a coil structure between the remaining poles, and means for independently revolving said rotor and said coil structure whereby either may be used to generate a s ark while the other remains at rest, substantially as described.

7. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure having two sets of poles, a rotor between one set of poles, a coil structure between the remaining poles, means for independently revolving said rotor and coil structure whereby either may be used to generate a spark while the other remains at rest, interrupter mechanism operated in synchronism with the movement of said rotor, and separate interrupter mechanism operated in synchronism with the movement of said coil structure.

8. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure having two sets of poles, a rotor between one set of poles, a coil structure between the remaining poles, means for independently revolving said rotor and coil structure whereby either may be used to generate a spark while the other remains at rest, interrupter mechanism operated in synchronism with the movement of said rotor, separate interrupter mechanism operated in synchronism with the movement of said coil structure, a distributer having a moving part driven in synchronism with said rotor and an electrical connection between said distributer and coil structure.

9. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure having two sets of poles, a rotor between one set of poles, a revoluble coil structure between the remaining poles, separate circuit interrupters operated in synchronism with said rotor and said revoluble coil structure, a distributer operated in synchronism with said rotor, an electrical connection between the moving part of said distributer and said coil structure, and a connection between said interrupters whereby the operation of either interrupter is dependent upon the position of the other, substantially as described.

10. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure having two sets of poles, a rotor between one set of poles, a revoluble coil structure between the remaining poles, a supporting shaft for said coil structure, an insulated lead passing through said shaft, interrupter mechanism connected to said lead, and means on said shaft whereby the same together with the parts connected thereto may be revolved to generate va current while the said rotor remains at rest, substantially as described.

11. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure, a rotor revoluble therein, a coil structure within the field structure and revoluble therein independently of said rotor, and a condenser electrically connected to said coil structure.

12. In an ignition dynamo, a field strucproviding a path for ture, a rotor revoluble therein, a coil structure within the field structure and revoluble therein independently of said rotor, and a condenser connected to said coil structure and movable therewith, substantially as described.

13. In an ignition dynamo, a field structure, a rotor revoluble therein, interrupter mechanism adapted to be operated in synchronism with said rotor, distributer mechanism adapted to be operated in synchronism with said rotor, a coil structure therefor revoluble within said field structure, and mechanism for revolving said coil structure, saidmechanism enabling the relative position of said coil structure to be determined, substantially as described.

14. In an ignition dynamo, a substantially U-shaped magnet, a field structure having two pairs of poles at right angles to the poles of said magnet, a rotor adapted to turn between one pair of said poles, a coil structure including windings and a core adapted to turn between the remaining poles, and means for driving said rotor and said last structure independently of each other.

15. The method of generating ignition current for internal combustion engines which consists in providing a primary magnetomotive force, shifting the flux due thereto in a symmetrical figure by means controlled by the movement of the engine, conducting the said flux through a normally stationary core carrying generating windings, and for starting purposes altering the direction of the flux fiow through said core while the other parts remain at rest, substantially as described.

16. The herein described method of furnishing ignition currents for starting internal combustion engines which consists of providing a primary magnetomotive flux, said flux through the core of a generating coil, shifting said core and coil in the flux path, interrupting the current so generated at its maximum peak for supplying starting sparks, stopping said generating coil in a predetermined position and continuin the fiux flow therethrough by means positively driven by the normal running of the engine, said means serving also to distribute the currentgenerated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LOUIS LANG. Witnesses: G. V. Sass,

CARL T. MASON. 

